Oscar Wilde once wrote, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life," and that might just be the case for a certain Netflix celebrity. On Thursday (Dec. 4), Page Six reported Orange is the New Black star Dascha Polanco is facing multiple assault charges for allegedly attacking a teenage girl in late July. Polanco might play an inmate in the controversial series, but could these accusations earn her some real jail time?
The 33-year-old actress was arrested on July 29 for allegedly brawling inside of her Upper Manhattan home with 17-year-old Michelle Cardona. According to the police reports, Polanco punched Cardona repeatedly in the face and pulled her hair.
She suffered from substantial bruising to her face, scratches all over her arms, and pain throughout her body. Cardona was later hospitalized for her injuries.
"Ms. Cardona observed the defendant strike Ms. Cardona about the face and head with a closed fist at least three times, pull Ms. Cardona's hair, and strike Ms. Cardona's arms with the defendant's hands and nails," the official court documents reported, according to Page Six.
Polanco's attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, revealed the New York Police Department issued the actress a summons to appear in court on Aug. 21, shortly after the allege incident took. Due to work scheduling issues, the arraignment was postponed to Dec. 3 (the actress' 33rd birthday).
The Dominican Republic native entered Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday with four counts of assault and harassment against her, including an assault with intent to cause physical injury charge. That charge alone is considered a class A misdemeanor that can ultimately result in up to a year behind bars.
Although some actors conduct thorough research in order to portray a role, but actually serving jail time is probably not what Polanco had in mind. Lefcourt believes his client was set up and the alleged assault is an attempt to extort money from the actress.
"It's a setup to try to get money and it was tape-recorded," Lefcourt told Page Six. "This young woman was trying to extort her to drop the case. We're confident the charges will be dismissed."
Polanco's is expected to appear in court in July 2016 for her next scheduled hearing.
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